11th std Maharashtra State Board

Botany Living World std : 11th

Introduction :
• Planet earth is made up of abiotic and biotic
components.
• The biotic components are obviously the living
beings present around us.
• The question is why do we call them living and
how do they differ from non-living?

Characteristics of living things :

• Growth
• Locomotion
• Movement
• Respiration
• Reproduction
• Death
• Digestion
• Metabolism
• Cellular Organization
• Response to the external stimulus
(Consciousness)

1.1 Basic principles of life :

A. Metabolism
• The living being once produced / born has to
survive.
• For survival, it needs energy and many chemical
molecules.
• For energy, it has to perform metabolism.
• Metabolism is breaking of molecules (catabolism)
and making of new molecules (anabolism).
• As the body looses it's capacity to perform metabolism, the organism dies.
The sum total of all the biochemical reactions occurring in our body is metabolism.
Metabolic reactions can be demonstrated outside the body in cell free system.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 1
B. Growth
• From birth onwards, organisms show tendency of
growth and development.
• This growth is a well-orchestrated process.
• You might have observed sand mounds, boulders
grow, etc.
• This growth is not from within and hence these are not living beings.

C. Development

• Growth and development are not the processes which have unlimited time span.
• At certain point of time, the molecules, organs, systems begin to loose their effective working and become
old. This is ageing process of the body.

D. Reproduction
• Life has to continue hence the organism tries to produce a young one like itself.
• It is possible due to reproduction (asexual or sexual).
• This ensures continuity of race.
• Mules, sterile worker bee, infertile human couples, third genders do not reproduce;
yet are living.
• Can we call reproduction as inclusive
characteristic of life?

F. Response to external stimulus (Consciousness)

• Any living being responds to thermal, chemical or biological

changes in the surrounding.
• This is unique property of living beings.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 2
Biodiversity
• There is immense diversity in living organisms.
• Since time immemorial, variety of organisms are living together on
earth.
• In order to understand the interrelations between living and non-
living as well as between two living beings or groups, systematic
study of these is essential.
• This data is also important for various industries and agriculture.
• Intensive laboratory and field studies in order to identify and classify
the organisms form strong basis for meaningful use of the collected
data.
• If we need to study this diversity, certain aids called taxonomical aids
can be used.
• These includes herbaria, botanical gardens, museums, biodiversity parks, etc.

1.2 Herbarium :
• The word herbarium (plural-herbaria) was coined by
Pitton de Tournefort in the book ‘Elemens’.
• The art of herbarium was initiated by an Italian
taxonomist Luca Ghini (1490-1556).
• Herbaria are effective tools in taxonomic studies.
• A herbarium is essentially
✓ a dried plant specimen that is pressed,
✓ treated and
✓ mounted on standard size sheet in order to
preserve it.
• Date,
• place of collection,
• detailed classification,
• ecological peculiarities,
• characters of the plant are recorded on the same sheet.
• Local names and name of the collector may be added.
• This information is given at lower right corner of sheet
and is called 'label'.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 3
 • In 1543, first botanical garden of the world was established by an Italian Prof. Luca Ghini (A. D. 1490-
1556) at Pisa, Italy.
• Botanical garden at Kew in England is known for largest collection of more than 30,000 specimens
(preserved plants) and more than 7 million herbaria.

1.3 Botanical Gardens :

• Botanical gardens are the places where plants of
different varieties collected from different parts of the
world, are grown in a scientific and systematic manner
in a in vivo manner.
• Plants are labeled.
• The label-board shows scientific as well as common
name of the plant.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 4
1.4 Museum :

• Museums are the places where, collections of preserved plant and animal specimens are kept.
• Plant and animal specimens may be preserved in formalin (10% to 40% formaldehyde) in transparent jars
and jars are labelled.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 5
 • Larger animals like birds and mammals are usually
stuffed and preserved.
• This science is known as taxidermy.
• Specimens in dried form are also kept in museum.
• We can even find systematic collections of shells,
skeletons of animals, insect boxes in museums.
• Thus, biological museums in educational institutes
are reference hubs of biodiversity studies.

1.5 Zoological Parks :

• Zoological Park generally known as zoo, is a place of
interest for common man.
• In a zoo, wild animals are kept in captivity.
• They are protected and care is taken to provide conditions
similar to their natural habitat. (ex situ)
• In a zoo, a naturalist can study food habits and behavior of
animals.

Some other tools of maintaining biodiversity records

o Flora,
o manuals,
o Monographs and
o Catalogue

• Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular area on time.

• Manual provides information, keys about identification of
species found in a particular area.
• A Monograph describes any one selected biological group.

Catalogues are the books of libraries rich in botanical titles.

They have special value in taxonomic studies.
To refer a catalogue, one should know full name of the author, exact
title of the book, exact date of publication the particulars of edition.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 6
1.6 Biodiversity parks :
• It is an ecological assemblage of species that form self-sustaining communities on degraded / barren
landscape
E.g. Late Uttamrao Patil biodiversity park Gureghar, Mahabaleshwar.
• This park is the best model for conservation of natural heritage in
urban landscape.

Biodiversity study is helpful in…

• Systematic classification of living organisms is helpful in

understanding the interrelations.
• In order to understand interrelations between organisms and maintain
harmony on planet earth, study of biodiversity is a must.

Dr. S. P. Agharkar
• One of the leading botanists of India.
• Dr. S. P. Agharkar was born in November 1884 in Malvan,
Maharashtra.
• He explored biodiversity of Western Ghats where he came across a
species of freshwater jellyfish, which was until then only known to be
found in Africa.
• These findings were published in scientific journal Nature in 1912.
• Dr. Annandale, the Superintendent of the Indian Museum in Kolkata,
helped Dr. Agharkar in his further endeavours to collect, preserve and
conduct microscopic examinations of animal and plant specimens.
• The institute ARI, Pune has been named after his name.

1.7 Key :
• Key is taxonomical aid used
for classification of plants and
animals.
• The keys are based on
contrasting characters.
• One of the contrasting
characters gets accepted and
other rejected.
• The statement in key is called a
lead.
• Normally keys are analytical in
nature.
• Let us study about
classification of living
organisms in next chapter.

Compiled by Goraksh Sir… 9220551552 For PACE Nerul, Kharghar & Chembur… Page 7